Haze and Despair
by Shania Nowhere
Summary: It's Sarah's senior year in high school and life is going nonstop for her. But she's haunted daily by memories of a world she can't remember. Will she be able to uncover her past before it drives her insane?
1. Chapter 1

Haze and Despair

By: Shania Nowhere

Disclaimer: I don't own the awesomely cool movie "Labyrinth" or any of its characters, I also don't own the song "These Dreams" by Heart.

Chapter 1

"But Sarah, we have practice, remember? What do you mean you have to go? Come back!"

The voices calling out to Sarah were lost in the pouring rain as she ran out of the auditorium at her school. It was her senior year and she was lead in the school play, but none of that seemed to mean anything to her these days. Her thoughts were elsewhere, fantasies of the past entangling her very senses every second of the day. She couldn't think clearly, only moments of solitude in a storm seemed to bring her back from the brink of her daydreams. It was almost as if something or someone was watching her all the time, trying to reach out to her from some far away place that she'd forgotten.

Distracted by the blurred images swimming in her subconscious, she blindly ran on through the rain until she found herself standing before the clock tower in the park near her home. She had always visited this place since she was a young girl, using the silence and peace to practice her lines or just be away from everything. Panting and staring up through the downpour, she gazed drearily up at the clock as if it were mocking her anguish, ticking away the hours without skipping a beat.

"Why do you torment me so, time? I struggle to make sense of the life I have and fight to make every minute count but to you an hour is just a second in your life. I bet you never worry about what will happen an minute from now or even a day…it's only forever, not long at all…" Sarah spoke to it as if it would hear her but she knew it wouldn't change anything. There was an emptiness in her that seemed to have devoured any recollection of why she felt so incomplete; nothing would help her remember. All she had her blurry memories of a time long past from the childhood she left behind, haze…and despair.

She turned from the clock and ran from it as if it were haunting her every second that she stayed beneath its shadow. Time was haunting her, the time she'd thrown away, and now it felt like she was running out of time. Not caring if she was skipping school or not, she walked home and went up to her room, falling onto her bed and laying there like a lifeless lump.

"Sarah?" A little voice came from her still open door and she rolled over to see her little brother staring at her sleepily from the doorway.

"Toby, what are you doing up? You know you're suppose to rest, doctor's orders." Sarah sighed, getting up and ushering the toddler back down the hall to his room.

"Why are you home?" Toby asked with a little sniffle.

"School let out early, now get back in bed." Sarah helped him up into his bed and began to tug him in as he wiggled defiantly.

"I don't wanna sleep anymore, I wanna play." Toby whined.

"Too bad." Sarah replied, a hint of indifference in her voice as she turned to leave.

"Sing to me, Sarah." Toby called out.

"Sing what."

"That song."

"Which one."

"You know it! You sing it when I can't sleep."

"Oh, but I've sung it a million times…"

"Pleeeeaase?"

With a sigh of defeat, Sarah walked back to his bed and sat down on the edge, pulling the edges of his sheet up as she began to sing, "_Spare a little candle, save some light for me. Figures up ahead moving in the trees…White skin, in linen, perfume on my wrist and the full moon that hangs over; these dreams in the mist. Darkness on the edge, shadows where I stand, I search for the time on a watch with no hands. I want to see you clearly, come closer than this, but all I remember are the dreams in the mist._"

As she sang, memories flooded her mind like a dam within her had broken, images of a man just out of view reaching out to her. Who was this man that haunted her?

"Sarah?" Toby's voice brought her out of her trance and she blinked down at him.

"Sorry, I…I was just thinking about something. Where was I?" She forced a smile.

"Dreams in the mist." Toby snuggled under his sheets in anticipation.

"Yes…_These dreams go on when I close my eyes, every second of the night, I live another life. These dreams that sleep when it's cold outside, every moment I'm awake, the further I'm away. Is it cloak 'n dagger? Could it be Spring or Fall? I walk without a cut through a stained glass wall. Weaker in my eyesight, the candle in my grip, and words that have no volume falling from my lips._"

As she spoke those words, it was as if she was falling, falling from some high place in desperation to reach something important to her…or to get away from something she feared.

"_These dreams go on when I close my eyes, every second of the night, I live another life. These dreams that sleep when it's cold outside, every moment I'm awake, the further I'm away_. There's something out there, I can't resist. I need to hide away from the pain…there's something out there, I can't resist. The sweetest song is silence that I've ever heard, funny how your feet in dreams never touch the earth. In a wood full of princes freedom is a kiss, but the prince hides his face from dreams in the mist…"  
A prince…a prince was hiding within her dreams, her memories…but who was he? Was he some childhood friend she'd long forgotten or a figment of her imagination? She longed to discover his identity, no matter what it took. Her heart raced to meet his outstretched hand and she quickly stood from the bed, surprising her little brother.

"Sarah? What's wrong?" Toby asked.

"I uh…I forgot to do something." Sarah muttered, racing out of the room and shutting the door behind her. She returned to her room and went straight to the bureau by her bed, ripping open the right drawer as if something were screaming to be let out. Digging around the old papers and random knick-knacks, she found a photo sitting near the bottom and pulled it out. In the photo was her mother with a strange man whom wasn't her father, she vaguely remembered this picture when she had found it in her mother's room many years before her death. She had remembered cherishing it like a priceless heirloom but something had caused her to bury it in the drawer like a painful memory. Who was the man in the photo and why did he make her heart race so?

The front door downstairs opened and disturbed her from her transfixion on the picture, causing her to turn violently toward the door, knocking the drawer out onto the floor. Quickly, she began to clean up the mess and put it back when she came across the old music box her mother gave her for her 6th birthday. She stared at the princess that stood within the gazebo structure, waiting to dance to the music within the box. Slowly winding the key on the base, she brought the princess to life and she began to spin around gaily to the tune. Sarah felt as if she was dancing with the doll, the world around her spinning in a blur of color and lights, mirrors reflecting visions of her in the same dress as the princess. Everything began to spin faster and faster until her head reeled uncontrollably into darkness.

"Sarah? Sarah, honey, wake up!" A voice called out to her from the darkness and she groped through the haze until light came into focus before her. Blinking dizzily, she gazed up at her father's concerned face as he held her in his arms.

"Dad?" she slowly got up and ran her fingers through her sweaty hair in confusion, "What happened?"

"I don't honestly know, I came home and found you here on the floor with this mess! Did you fall or something?" He asked her as they both stood.

"Yes…that's it." She mused to herself as she blankly took in the scattered belongings on the floor. Suddenly remembering that she was looking for something, she crouched and began to pick through the papers again subconsciously.

"Well, Abby was looking for you, she said you left school before drama practice had even started. You haven't been yourself lately, is everything okay?"

"I…I lost something." Sarah muttered breathlessly, tossing the pile into the drawer in defeat.

"What did you lose, hun?" He looked over her shoulder curiously as she slowly slid the drawer back into the bureau.

"I don't know…I don't remember…"

"Well, maybe you'll remember after going over to Abby's house to rehearse the play, she needs her Cinderella to be cruel to!" Her father laughed as he left the room.

She'd all but forgotten about the play, everyone was expecting a lot of her in the next few months before graduation. Glancing down at the watch on her wrist, she saw that it was barely an hour after practice had ended, time seeming to have escaped her completely. Gathering her book bag, she headed downstairs and hurried over to Abby's house. It was only a few blocks away but the trip gave her time to clear her head of all the thoughts lingering within her. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the front door of Abby's house and her mother let her in, leaving her to find her way to Abby's room. She'd been here many times but it felt foreign to her just now, everything did, like she wasn't meant to be here or anywhere else in this world. Shaking the feeling, she knocked lightly on the bedroom door and a very cross-looking young girl answered it.

"Where have you been? Do you know how mad everyone was when you ran off like that? You are the lead in this play, if you can't focus on your part, you might as well give it to someone who can." Abby scolded harshly, as if she were already getting in character for their practice. But Sarah was used to getting lectures, this wasn't the first time she'd ticked her off like this and it probably wouldn't be the last. Sitting in the chair by her desk, Sarah pulled out her script and prepared to read through it with Abby, even though she'd memorized this play when she was a little girl. Fairytales used to consume her life, now school and graduation were the only things on her mind, save for the daydreams now and then that interrupted everything. She stared through the script as she spoke her lines, not really needing it to do her parts but stared nonetheless as her thoughts began to wander again. Soon growing bored, her gaze roamed around the room and eventually landed on a little red book laying half hidden beneath Abby's bed. As if something inside her demanded to have it, she leapt from her seat and dove for the book, whipping it off the floor and clutching it tightly in her hands.

"Sarah, what the-" Abby began to shout when Sarah turned to face her, the book held close to her heart.

"I've been looking for this…" Sarah said, her eyes burning through Abby's guilty face.

Leaping up from her chair and crossing the room, Abby said, "I only borrowed it! You left it buried in a drawer, I thought you'd forgotten all about it so I didn't see any harm in taking it home with me."

"I had forgotten…" Sarah muttered, holding the book out and examining the cover, the book was called "The Labyrinth".

"Then you won't mind me keeping it a little longer, I've almost got the ending memorized." Abby made a grab for the book but Sarah quickly pulled away, frowning at her.

"I never said you could have it in the first place, this is MY book! You can't go stealing things from people and expect them to not care!" Sarah replied defensively.

"Gosh, it's just a book, Sarah! You act like it's important!"

"It is to me!"

"Why?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Sarah screamed, causing a silence to fill the room as Abby stared at her in surprise.

Stammering, Abby said, "W-well that doesn't make any sense, and neither do you, Sarah. If you ask me, you've had your head in those textbooks too long and you brain's gone all funny. Maybe you need to drop out of the play and focus on reality more than these fairytales you're chasing."

"What is reality…" Sarah muttered, loosening her grip on the book. Seeing her chance to snatch it, Abby ripped the book out of Sarah's hands and flipped it to somewhere near the beginning of the book, saying, "You know what's my favorite part of this book? Where the princess wishes away her annoying sibling to be turned into a goblin! I wish you would go away so I can be the princess I deserve to be, you're always stealing the spotlight and you don't even CARE! Well, I'm going to do what the princess did in this book, I'll wish you away!"

"Abby, what are you-" Sarah tried to stop her but it was too late.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away...RIGHT NOW!" Abby shouted.

Suddenly and without warning, the whole room went dark, not even the sound of her breathing broke through the void. She tried to scream but it just felt like she was falling into an endless abyss. Finally, the free falling feeling ended and she attempted to walk but felt nothing below her feet. A light ahead beckoned to her weakly in the distance and she swam through the soupy blackness to reach it. Stretching out her hand, she grasped at the light and took hold of the tiny candle, examining it for a moment before holding into the darkness to light the way. Off in the distance, the light reflected off something shiny and she made her way to it. Upon reaching it, she saw that it was an intricate glass mosaic of a maze, shimmering in dim light of the candle that didn't seem to be melting. Gently running her hand over the window, something about it stirred a memory in her mind and she stepped forward into the window, passing through it as if it weren't real. The image in the mosaic slowly faded into what could be considered reality, or as close as this world came to being real. It was dim, the sun just beginning to set in the distance over this bizarre landscape that seemed to lack any movement to indicate residents. It was as if the labyrinth had been abandoned long ago, judging by the decay and ruined look of the walls. Curiously, Sarah glanced down at her watch and found the hour and minute hands were missing.

"Does that mean…time doesn't exist here?" Sarah muttered to herself, staring in turn at the ground below her. Shadows danced around her feet as the candle still in her hand danced on the wind, but these shadows looked alive. Feeling a chill run up her spine, she took off running down the hill to the front gate of the Labyrinth, pounding on it as the shadows encroached on the last signs of light.

"Please, someone let me in! Open up! Let me into the Labyrinth!! HELP!" Sarah shouted frantically, the darkness attempting to consume her again. Finally the gates creaked open and she forced herself through, quickly forcing them back shut before the shadows could follow. Breathless and panic stricken, Sarah glanced up and down the long corridor. It was as if she'd been there before, a feeling of familiarity setting in as she slowly walked down the endless passageway. Had she really been here before or was this all just a dream? Something was definitely different but she wasn't sure what, she could barely even remember ever seeing this place before. As she walked, she heard the clatter of something glass rolling over the dirt ground behind her, becoming startled when something hit her heel. Whirling around and staring down, she saw a single glass orb sitting idle before her as if waiting for her to pick it up. Wordlessly, she knelt and took hold of the ball, examining it closely and turning it in her hand in wonder.

"Where did this come from?" Sarah mused, staring even deeper into the reflection in its crystal surface. But it was not her own face staring back but that of a man whom looked equally surprised to see her staring back.

"Sarah?" The man's voice carried through the glass like an echo and she gawked in awed silence. Suddenly it dawned on her: this was the man that had been haunting her for the past few months, the man from her dreams…her masked prince.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Sarah said in shock.

Without hesitation, the man said, "Don't go anywhere, I'm coming to get you." With that, his face vanished from the glass and left Sarah to gawk in silence. Like it had bitten her, Sarah dropped the orb and began to panic as she looked around as if she finally realized where she was.

"What's going on? This is crazy, I'm not really here, it's all just a dream! I'm just stressed out about graduating and the play and-OH MY GOSH, are those plants looking at me? That's it, I'm finding a way out of here before I go mad!" Sarah started for the closed gate before remembering what she'd left behind. Hesitating, she slowly reached for the handle when the door began to rattle and moan. She jumped back in fear and collided with something that quickly enveloped her in blue velvet. In a flash, something glass broke against the door and left a shimmering barrier between her and the shadows outside.

"That should hold them off long enough for us to retreat to the castle, we should take our leave before my magic dissipates." A silky voice spoke into her ear as the shroud about her flew away. Turning quickly, she came face to face with the sharp eyes of the man she'd seen earlier. She felt a chill run through her as they locked gazes, her lips searching for words to express the thrill she felt in his presence. He was tall and lithe, giving him a graceful appearance much like an elf. Though his hair was bizarre it didn't seem to bother her at all as she fell prey to his mismatched eyes, feeling the air leave her through her parted lips. Somehow he seemed familiar to her but something was different, he was youthful but worn and weary from time.

A leather clad finger slipped over her lips as the man whispered, "We mustn't waste time, we'll catch up later. Come now…"

She silently nodded in a trance as he took her hand and led her down the path a ways to an opening in the wall she assumed he'd just come through. A few twists and turns later, Sarah finally attempted to speak again with more success.

"Mister?" Sarah said timidly.

"Please, call me Jareth." He said softly as if speaking normally might bring the maze down on them, "You really don't remember me, do you? I can't help but feel a little insulted."

"I'm sorry but I don't…" She looked away at the surrounding maze, "So is this your labyrinth, Jareth? Or do you just live here?"

"It's mine, but I don't know how long that will be true." Jareth replied grimly.

Glancing back curiously, Sarah asked, "Why?"

"It's a very long story…have you noticed the state of affairs? The encroaching darkness, the never setting sun on the horizon, the crumbling walls…" Jareth stopped to run a gentle hand over the dubious structuring next to him as if it were a loved pet on its death bed.

"I thought it was just late in the day, you mean the sun never sets?"

"It sure is Hell on your sleep schedule." Jareth joked but his exhaustion showed in the rings under his eyes.

"Has it always been this way?"

"No. Once my labyrinth was brilliant, full of life, unconquerable. I was quite proud of it…"

"So what happened to make it this way?" Sarah felt somewhat sorry for him, reaching out a hand in sympathy.

Just then, Jareth's eyes widened and he froze, hissing lowly, "They've broken through, I must stop it before it reaches the castle. This will guide you; continue without me!" He placed an orb in her outstretched hand before running off and disappearing out of sight.

"Jareth, wait!" She tried to follow but when she rounded the corner, she was met by a dead end. Feeling a twinge of anxiety hit her, she tried to remain calm and focus on getting to her destination. Remembering the glass ball in her hand, she cupped it in her palms and stared at it, saying, "How are you suppose to lead me to the castle?" On a whim, she set it on the ground and waited patiently for it to move. Sure enough, it slowly began to roll across the bumpy cobblestone and back around the corner. Sarah followed it closely as it meandered its way through the maze as if being called back by some magical force. Growing dizzy from all the weaving and staring at the ground, she looked up to take in her surroundings. She found herself in a forest littered with Spanish moss, the ground equally as coated in a bed of dead leaves. It was almost surreal the way the trees twisted and bent in unearthly shapes as if some wicked force deformed them. Sarah was beginning to wonder if anything in this place was alive when she heard a low growl pierce the silence.

"H-hello? Who's there? Oh please don't be something terrible." Sarah called out in a shaky voice.

"My lady, is that you?" A curious male voice returned her call.

To her surprise, a small red fox in medieval attire walked out from a nearby bush and gave her a toothy smile.

He bowed, sweeping his tattered hat under him in a polite gesture as he said, "It is you! It has been far too long, my lady!"

"My lady? Have we met before?" Sarah asked, kneeling to be closer to eye level with the clothed creature.

"Surely you have not forgotten me, I know it's been many years since your last visit but…"

"I'm afraid I don't recall ever coming here. What's your name?"

"Sir Didymus, at your service! What has brought you back to the labyrinth, my lady?"

"Actually, I'm not sure, I thought I was dreaming but the longer I'm here…" She looked around with a sigh, "I might be lost, my guide has rolled away from me. Do you think you could point me in the direction of the castle?"

"The castle? You don't mean the goblin king's tower, do you?" Didymus' joyful expression changed to that of concern.

"If that is where Jareth lives then yes, that is where I must go, he told me to meet him there."

"The goblin king is not one to be trusted, my lady! He has lost his mind and soul to a terrible curse that has driven him mad, you're best to stay far away from him." He snarled.

"He seemed perfectly sane to me…" Sarah looked surprised and a bit worried, glancing around in case he were behind her watching.

"Do not let his friendly appearance fool you, he only seeks victims to sacrifice to his curse that he might regain his youth and power. It has been uneventful since you last were here, time slowly came to a stand still until it ceased to exist. Neither day nor night reign over the land, the labyrinth has suffered greatly these past few years…every being has felt it, few survived it without going mad." Didymus explained sadly.

"Then I should do something to help! I can't leave here on my own anyway, I'll have to confront Jareth in order to restore this world to its original form and return to my own world." Sarah replied boldly.

"My lady, I would not be a worthy knight if I let you wander these woods unaccompanied, please allow me to escort you to the city and aid you in your quest!"

"It seems I have no choice, lead the way, sir Didymus!" Sarah stood as the fox returned his hat to his head.

"Aye, my lady, leave it to me! Come, Ambrosius, to the goblin city!" Didymus called into the bushes and a saddled sheep dog came out, eyeing Sarah warily. Mounting the dog, Didymus rode off down the clear path Sarah had been following and led the way out of the forest.

Stepping into the dim sunlight, Sarah marveled at the mountains of trash creating a moat of sorts between them and the city walls. At the center of the rundown city stood a crumbling tower that had an aura of darkness about it. The structure strangely caused her heart to race, her eyes slowly widening as she muttered, "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City…"

"My lady?" Didymus looked up curiously.

"I've…I've been here before…that tower…" Sarah said in an airy voice, stepping forward as if a mysterious force were pulling her toward the city.

"Yes, we laid siege on the city and rescued your brother from the king's hold."

"Jareth…kidnapped Toby?" Sarah blinked before shaking her head, "No, Jareth wouldn't do that!"

"He hath brainwashed you into trusting him, do not fall for his tricks and illusions, my lady! He only wants your essence-"

"NO! He doesn't! You're wrong about him, I'll show you!" Sarah shouted, taking off down the hill into the trash piles, wading her way to the front gate.

"My lady, stop!" Didymus yelled, quickly pursuing her.

As Sarah pushed past broken appliances and discarded toys, the words she muttered kept repeating in her head.

_Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City…why can't I remember why I came here? What was I fighting for?_

"My lady!" Didymus' voice barely reached her before she found herself falling through the ground, the piles of trash giving way to an endless pit below.

With all her might, she screamed out Jareth's name as she descended into the darkness, hoping he would somehow come and save her from her imminent doom. As she fell, several thoughts flashed through her mind as if her life were being relived in her last seconds alive. Thoughts of home and of her brother Toby, her mother and her stage plays, her crazy school life; one thing that struck out in her flashes was images of Jareth reaching to her in desperation. Why did he look so forlorn and wizened, so anxious? She needed to know what she had forgotten, those precious moments that had fallen away from her as she was now falling. Her heart pounded as more images flashed by in a blur of light, but as they whirled around her she found herself slowing to a stop in midair. Blinking in surprise, she looked to find herself laying in a bed of shimmering light; she was saved. Sarah glanced up toward the sky and saw in the distance Jareth's torso dangling over the edge of the hole, his hands stretched out as if he were holding her himself. Was what she envisioned simply caused by the rush of falling or was it a severe case of déjà vu?

"Jareth…" Sarah whispered in awe as she slowly rose back to the surface and into his arms for real.

Seconds later, Jareth's body shuddered and he leaned heavily on her with a weary moan.

"Jareth, what's wrong? Jareth!" Sarah struggled to hold him upright as his head fell against her shoulder.

"My lady, step away, I shall vanquish him before he has time to recover!" Didymus exclaimed, drawing his sword as Ambrosius growled.

"Damn…dog…" Jareth muttered, raising a hand to cast him down but losing his energy, his arm falling limp.

"Jareth, don't move, you're hurt!" Sarah felt a wound on his side gingerly as he let out another moan.

"I'll…be fine. We should hurry to my castle…" Jareth gasped, trying to stand on his own but feeling his legs giving way beneath him.

"Let me help you." Sarah took hold of his uninjured side and slowly walked him through the debris.

"My lady, wait!" Didymus made his way around the pit and hurried to catch up, "I will not allow you to be alone with this fiend, he may try to harm you!"

"Didymus…" Sarah muttered, smiling down at him appreciatively.

They came to the gate finally and opened it, finding an inner gate that was much higher and heavier than the first; it was shut.

"We don't have Sir Ludo with us this time, how will we open it?" Didymus pondered, staring up at the thick metal structure that cast a menacing shadow over him.

Silently, Jareth raised his hand to the door and began to shiver, his face contorting into a pained grimace as the door began to creak open. With a cry of agony, blood spurt from his side and soaked his flimsy shirt as he continued to open the door with his magic. Finally, it was open enough for them to slip in and Sarah quickly lowered his hand, saying, "That's enough, you'll kill yourself if you push yourself any harder!"

His body became limp in her arms as he panted weakly, slowly growing paler as his blood left him.

"We must hurry, Didymus, or he'll die!" Sarah said, heaving Jareth's entire weight onto her shoulders and stalking in through the city as quickly as she could. Moments later, she threw open the tower door and dragged Jareth's body into the throne room, collapsing at the foot of his chair and laying him out on the cold stone floor. Desperately, she ripped his shirt away from the wound and pulled the drapes from his throne. Tearing it apart, she pressed the cloth into the wound, causing him to moan and writhe in pain.

"My lady, he's too far gone, there's nothing you can do for him." Didymus muttered as he dismounted and watched her dress his wound.

"I'm not giving up on him, he's the only one who can help me now! Come on, Jareth, hold on!" Sarah said, tying the fabric tightly around his waist to stop the bleeding.

Groaning again, he muttered something under his breath and weakly stared into her eyes.

Sarah leaned closer to hear him when she felt the pressure of his hand against the nap of her neck, pulling her into a deep kiss. Didymus' exclamations faded into the background as the room danced around them, light blending into the swirl of colors until all was swallowed by darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A soft voice was whispering off and on in Sarah's ear, distant at first but slowly becoming clearer as she woke from her sleep. The gentle breeze of someone's breath tickled her senses and brought her around completely as she realized she was lying on top of Jareth.

"Sarah?" Jareth called once more in a faint tone, his hand draped lightly over her back where it had settled after their kiss.

Sarah gradually sat upright, a subtle fatigue hitting her as she steadied herself and said breathlessly, "What happened?"

"I borrowed some of your energy, I hope you don't mind." Jareth's eyes were soft and gentle as he stared at her drowsily.

A fierce blush warmed her cheeks as she realized what he'd done, touching her cheek and uttering a dazed, "Oh…"

"You have no shame or manners, king, stealing kisses without permission." Didymus growled loathsomely from his perch on Jareth's throne where he'd taken to watching over them just case he tried something while Sarah was out cold.

Jareth merely smirked as he slid his hand down to his side and muttered, "Better than being dead."

"Are you going to be okay?" Sarah asked, looking at the bandage that was soaking through slowly.

"For now…but I was dying long before this happened." Jareth sighed, closing his eyes to conserve his energy.

"Dying? Are you ill?" Sarah asked curiously.

"Not exactly…I can't explain it but it happened long before you ever lived. I guess it's finally caught up to me."

"Can no one in this great land heal you?"

"One can…but…" Jareth's voice trailed off and he moaned, clutching at his side.

"Tell me where I can find this person! I'll bring them back here so they can help you!" Sarah pleaded.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy, my lady." Didymus spoke up.

"Why?" Sarah looked up at him, feeling slightly frustrated by the roadblocks.

"I cannot say for it is a secret that only those who are free of any curses can explain. You'll find there aren't many left in this land that aren't cursed these days…" Didymus said grimly.

"You mean…Jareth is under a curse? That's why he's dying?"

Didymus didn't respond but the grief in his eyes told her it was so.

"And you?"

The same silence was returned.

"That's terrible! Surely there must be something I can do to help!" Sarah said desperately, "I can't just let you all die! How many others are under this curse? Can you tell me?"

"Many…and yet only one…" Jareth muttered sleepily.

"I don't understand." Sarah said, "What does that mean? Many yet only one?"

"If you wish to help us you must figure it out on your own, my lady. I fear we have told you as much as we can…" Didymus replied.

Silence fell over the room for several minutes before Jareth whispered, "Sarah, how did you get here?"

"You mean to the labyrinth? I was summoned by…by a classmate." Sarah replied quietly, the memory of Abby's wrath not being recalled fondly.

"That's not possible, you're far too old to be wished away. Besides, my minions are long gone, consumed by the darkness…who retrieved you?" Jareth turned his gaze on her curiously.

"That's what brought me here…I think. The room went dark and I had this sensation of falling for a minute before I began to swim towards the light. Then I found a beautiful stained glass window and walked through it into this world." Sarah explained plainly.

"A window, you say…I wonder…" Jareth seemed to be pondering something deeply before saying, "What was on this window? A kingdom, perhaps?"

"No, it was of the labyrinth…only it was newer and quite lovely."

"The window into his heart…" Didymus suddenly spoke, reminding them that he still occupied the room.

"What?" Sarah stared at him in confusion.

"Sarah, you must hurry, I don't have much time left." Jareth spoke softly, "Take the dog with you, he will help guide you through the maze so you don't get lost again."

"I'll have you know I'm a fox, not a dog. Ambrosius is a dog." Didymus snarled down at Jareth as he hopped down from the throne and trotted past him.

"I won't let you die, Jareth, I promise I'll do everything I can to save you. Please lay still and rest until I get back." Sarah said, redressing his wound before she left so he would be fit to be alone for a while. Glancing back one last time, Sarah loathed the idea of leaving him in such poor condition but mustered the will to go out and seek help, for his sake. As she left the goblin city with Didymus at her side, she said inquisitively, "Didymus, you said you were under a curse too. Why is it that you aren't dying as well?"

"It does not effect me the way it does him." Didymus replied simply, taking in the surroundings as they walked through the trash heaps again.

"Do you suppose the others with this curse are the same? Unaffected by it?" Sarah asked curiously, trying to get as much information about it as she could.

"Perhaps, I cannot say."

"I see…so were you all cursed at the same time? Did someone put a curse on this land as a whole?"

"In a way…"

"I'm so confused, I wish you could tell me." Sarah sighed.

"I wish I could as well, my lady." Didymus sighed as well.

As they trudged on through the disaster of a front yard, Sarah stopped to stare curiously at something nearby.

"Did you see that?" Sarah asked curiously.

"See what? Is it a foe? I shall slay it!" Didymus said eagerly.

"No, I don't think we're in any danger…" Sarah began to move toward the place she'd seen movement and to her surprise, it was some form of creature buried beneath a pile of trash.

It looked up at her as she approached and said, "Oi, you again? I thought you'd left this place for good! Back to destroy more of my home, are yea?"

"Oh no, I was just looking for someone." Sarah replied, unsure of whether she really knew who this was or not, "Say, could you help me?"

"Depends, have yea lost something?" The shriveled old hag replied cautiously.

"Well…I don't think so…could you tell me anything about the goblin king's curse?"

"Curse, yea say? Nope, don't know nothing about no curse but he left something out here a while ago. Let me see if I can find it, yes, here it is…" the hag reached into a random pile nearby and pulled out an old tattered book, gingerly dusting it off before handing it to Sarah.

"What is it?" Sarah asked, looking it over.

"Not really sure but maybe that'll help yea find what yer looking for, it might."

"I suppose it may…thank you." Sarah said before returning to Didymus, continuing to look at the book questioningly.

"What it is, my lady?" Didymus asked as she began to flip through the book.

"I'm not sure, she said it belonged to Jareth a long time ago." Sarah said mildly as she skimmed the pages until she realized what it was, "Didymus, it's a journal! Maybe it'll have some clues as to what happened to him!"

"Splendid!" Didymus said cheerfully.

Searching for anything of significance, Sarah stopped midway through the book and read aloud, "_Today father introduced me to a family from a foreign land, we're suppose to make peace with them but I don't like them very much. Their daughter keeps looking at me funny, I think she must like me. Who's to blame her, I am fair and attractive_." Scoffing, she mumbled, "I see vanity isn't something new to his demeanor."

"How long ago was this? As long as I have lived, no other human has inhabited this land but the goblin king." Didymus inquired.

"I'm not sure, there isn't a date. Let me flip ahead and see what happened with that peace treaty…" Sarah skipped a couple pages ahead and read, "_Father forced me to accompany the foreign girl to the annual masquerade ball, I hate her so much. I wish I didn't have to be nice to her, she's horribly repulsive and queer. If it weren't bad enough that we had to go together, she had to wear the ugliest dress I've ever seen. I ditched her after the first dance and left with some friends, father wasn't too pleased with me when I returned without her._"

"What a wretched young man he was! Leaving a lady unattended for some foul play with fellow ruffians…" Didymus growled.

Sarah decided to skip to the end of the journal to see if there were any clues closer to the present, "_I'm to wed the foreign girl tomorrow, I threatened to run away but father returned my threat with a year's imprisonment for defying his commands. I don't understand why I have to sacrifice myself for this worthless kingdom, I never asked to be its future king, I just want a normal life. I'm going to tell her that I refuse to marry her, I would rather rot in a cell than be married to such a hideous person. Father will get over it eventually…I hope_." Sarah stared at the page for a moment before slowly closing the book.

"Now you see him for who he truly is." Didymus said piously, a great disgust on his face.

"We're all different people when we're young, I too was selfish and arrogant when I was younger, perhaps he was the same." Sarah replied quietly.

"Except he has not changed."

"Something has changed. He spoke of other kingdoms and his father wishing him to become king but he obviously didn't want to, why is he king now? What changed his mind?"

"I do not know, my lady. Perhaps we should ask him?" Didymus suggested.

"No, we need more clues first, let's explore the forest some more and see if there's anyone there who can help us." Sarah said, tucking the book in the back of her jeans before wading through the sea of trash and making a beeline for the tree line. They wandered the forest for what felt like hours before finding an extinguished fire pit.

Didymus knelt to place his hand over the ashes before saying, "It's still warm, they couldn't have been gone long."

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" Sarah called out in all directions, hoping the maker of the fire might return. No signs of response were heard over the low rustle of the breeze. Ambrosius began to sniff around the ground in hopes of catching a scent, focusing around the edges of the fire. Finally, he caught a scent and followed it off into the trees, leading the duo on an adventure through bushes and under logs. He eventually came to a stop at the edge of a riverbed that was nearly dry, a small trickle of water weaving through the cracks in its journey down into an adjacent valley that seemed to break through the maze for miles. Looking forlorn, Ambrosius let out a whimper that told them he'd lost the scent.

"It looks like the trail ends here, our trek was in vain." Didymus said dismally.

"Maybe not…look over there." Sarah crossed the river to a tree with a broken branch, gingerly examining it to find it had broken recently, "If we follow these signs, we'll be able to find whoever we're following!"

"Excellent hunting skills, my lady! The game is afoot!" Didymus and Ambrosius worked together to sniff out more clues as to the whereabouts of their prey, following footprints and broken twigs until finally they came upon a door in the labyrinth wall. Ambrosius let out a low growl as Sarah examined the door and found it to be locked.

"I wonder who lives here…shall we knock?" Sarah turned to her companions and they looked warily at the door.

"It's unwise to advance upon the unknown on its own grounds." Didymus warned her.

"At this point I'm more worried about finding answers than being cautious." Sarah replied, giving the door a light rap before stepping back to wait.

All was silent for a moment before a husky voice echoed through the door, "Go away!"

"Please, sir, we need your help!" Sarah called to him.

"I don't help anyone! Look somewhere else!" He replied harshly.

"I say…is that you, Sir Hoggle?" Didymus spoke curiously.

There was another moment of silence before he replied, "Who's askin'?"

"It is I, Sir Didymus of the bog! Surely you have not forgotten our adventure together not 6 years ago!" Didymus said cheerfully.

"6 years?" Sarah blinked curiously. Toby wasn't even born 6 years ago, was he speaking of another time before that?

"How do I know that's really you?" The voice was still cautious but sounded like he was opening up to them.

"I have Lady Sarah with me, she has returned to help us!"

"Sarah?"

"Yes, I'm here! Will you please come out now?" Sarah hoped if she played along, she might be able to find more clues and get more help from this mysterious person.

As if he were mulling it over in his head, Hoggle eventually unlocked the door and peeked his head out to see if they were really who they claimed to be. In surprise, he threw open the door and exclaimed, "Sarah! You're…well, I expected ya to be older."

"Older? Why?" She frowned and crossed her arms indignantly.

"Time passes twice as fast in our world than it does in yours." Didymus explained.

"So…what, a full day for me is more like 2 for you?" Sarah was just as surprised, and even more confused.

"Somethin' like that. So what brings ya back?" Hoggle asked, hitching up his loose pants.

"I'm not really sure why I'm here but I have to save Jareth! He's dying and-" Sarah tried to explain the situation when Hoggle scoffed, "Save him? He tried to trap ya here! He's a good for nothin', selfish, vain…he's not listenin', is he?"

"He's under a curse and I think you are too, everything here is and I need to find out why so I can save the Labyrinth and everyone in it!"

"Curse? I was cursed the second I was born in this godforsaken place! I'm just glad I didn't have to live in the bog of eternal stench my whole life." Hoggle said.

"I resemble that remark." Didymus scowled at him.

"What happened to your parents? Don't you have any family here?" Sarah asked Hoggle curiously.

"Family? Well…" He thought for a minute, "I don't remember."

"What about you, Didymus?"

"My family has guarded the bridge over the bog for thousands of years!" Didymus said proudly.

"Who guarded it before you?"

"It was…well, that is to say…um…" He too looked puzzled, "I'm not sure."

"Well someone must have taught you what to do when you were a child…or pup…or whatever." Sarah said rationally.

"I don't honestly remember much of my childhood…'twas a long time ago, my lady."

"Come to think of it, I don't remember my childhood either." Hoggle added.

"Doesn't anyone find it strange that they can't remember having any family or past? Maybe this has something to do with the curse." Sarah concluded.

"Perhaps it does! Brilliant deduction, my lady!" Didymus chimed.

"But that still doesn't explain what happened to your parents…" Sarah sighed, "Maybe it's time we headed back to the castle to check on Jareth and ask him about this."

"Why would ya want to save him, Sarah? He's done nothin' to deserve to live." Hoggle grumbled as they set out through the forest.

"Because…he may be the only one who can send me home. I can't live here forever, my family would worry about me." Sarah said, looking around at the scenery as they passed the valley again.

"It must be nice to have family…someone to miss ya." Hoggle mused idly.

"I guess so…I wonder what happened to Jareth's family." Sarah said sadly.

They continued on through the forest until they came back to a tall mountain obstructing their path. There was no sign of plant life on its rocky slopes and the peak was too high up to see from the base as they gazed at it.

"Did we go the wrong way?" Didymus asked, looking at the mountain in bewilderment.

"I don't think so…but we did wander through the forest a lot, maybe we did get lost." Sarah sighed.

"I guess we'll have to climb up it to figure out where to go." Hoggle said.

"That's a good idea, let's go." Sarah agreed and they set out to climb the mountain.

As they scaled it and rose above the tree line, they glanced around to see if they could see the castle from there. Off in the distance it glimmered dully in the setting sunlight; it was further than they thought it should be.

"Wow, we walked pretty far, I didn't think it'd been that long." Sarah whistled as she shielded her eyes to see.

"We best hurry, the goblin king may not survive much longer without care." Didymus noted as he too saw how far they had to walk back.

As they began to descend the slope, the mountain gave a terrible shake as an eerie cry echoed on the air. The group looked around nervously as the ground continued to tremble more violently and the howls grew louder. Further up the mountain, they saw a cascade of rocks falling toward them and gaining speed rapidly.

"It's a rockslide, take cover!" Hoggle yelled. They tried to hurry to cover but found there was no place to hide, they were trapped.


End file.
